Business Crime Prevention (1.66KB)

Our department believes that there are a few steps a business owner can do to prevent the crimes that businesses endure.

1. Make Your Business Uninviting

  • Good lighting inside and out is probably the single most effective and inexpensive deterrent to burglary.
  • Outside lights should cover all points of entry, especially the ones in the rear of the business.
  • Inside lights should illuminate the cash register, safe and believe it or not, the valuable merchandise.
  • Burglar alarm decals prevent a burglary from occurring! Place them on the door and windows.

    2. Make It Hard to Get Inside

    Doors
  • Exterior doors should be heavy and solid... not hollow!
  • Wooden doors should be metal lined to resist sawing or drilling.
  • Side and rear doors should have metal bars as wide as the door itself that can be dropped into place at closing time.
  • Hinge pins should be installed on the inside, so they cannot be removed by a thief.
    Locks
  • A deadbolt lock is the best for doors.
  • For a solid door without glass, the best type of deadbolt is a single cylinder, which requires a key to lock/unlock the door from the outside, and has a knob to perform this action form the inside.
  • For a door with glass, the best type of deadbold is a double cylinder, which requires a key to lock/unlock from both the inside and out.
    Windows
  • If possible, break resistant glass is best, especially for display windows.
  • Rear and side windows should be protected by grillwork (iron bars) or by heavy -duty screen (No. 9 gauge interior wire guards), this is also useful on doors with glass paneling.
    Other Possible Points of Entry
  • Skylights
  • Ventilators
  • Sidewalk Grilles
  • Loading Docks
  • Old Coal Chute Openings
    Some Thieves Don't Even Have to Break In
  • They will walk in while you're open, then hide inside a closet, restroom, or similar hiding place until after closing time.
  • Check all potential hiding places before closing up.

    3. Make It Hard to Find or Remove Valuable Items

  • Safes and cash registers should be clealy visible from the street.
  • Leave the cash register drawer open and empty after business hours.
  • The safe should be of good quality and firmly anchored.
  • Only place blank checks and the check protector inside the safe at night. Avoid putting cash inside the safe at night.
  • It is a good rule to make bank deposits throught the day to prevent having large amounts of cash on-hand.
  • Lighting also helps, it will make it harder for the burglar to go undetected, if he's working inside or outside the building.

    4. Make It Likely The Theif Will Get Caught

  • Consider installing a burglar alarm system.
  • Record the serial numbers of valuable goods and theft-prone items.



    Locks for doors should be the deadbolt type!
    Openings other than doors and windows should be protected.
    Cover is something you don't want burglars to have, Lighting!
    Keep valuable items out of the display windows at night.

    Insuranse on your building is something you must not be without.
    Trip up the thief by installing a burglar alarm system

    Understand the importance of checking out potential employees before hiring.
    Protect your business and others by working to improve the crime prevention in the community

    LOCK IT UP!



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